Redemption
by DracoCharizard87
Summary: Cynder and her friends battle with Princess Ash in the ultimate showdown!
1. Chapter 1: The Final Fight

**DRAGON HEROES**

At last, we're at the season finale! Previously, Ash had stolen Cynder's body with a spell and lured her friends into a trap. Fortunately, Cynder, in Ash's body, managed to convince everyone that she's the real deal, and after a brief battle with the evil albino Twilight Storm, she has managed to get her body back. Now the team are ready to have their long-awaited battle with Princess Ash. See for yourself what will unravel in this spectacular finale of season two!

* * *

 **Redemption  
**

 **Chapter 1 – The Final Fight  
**

A strong wind stirred up, causing the trees surrounding the battlefield to be swayed back and forth. The dragons focused on Ash, who stared smugly at them.

"Why don't you just give it up, you pathetic slugs?" she gloated. "Even though I may be in my original body, I'm only just getting started, and pretty soon you'll see that I'm the most powerful dragon on this planet! Even with all your powers combined, you're still utterly screwed! Ironic, isn't it?"

"Your trash talk only proves that you know nothing about achieving balance," said Cynder. "In fact, all it does is making you appear much weaker than your opponents."

Ash growled. "Impudent little cow! Just for that, I'm going to crush you into tiny pieces! Then we'll see who the weak one is!"

Cynder stood bravely, feeling ready to give the albino Twilight Storm her dues. She turned to her teammates, who were waiting for her commands.

"Draco, all of you, you'd better back away," she said. "I'll handle Ash on my own."

"Why is that?" asked Torden. "Don't you think we can be able to help you out? I mean Ash is a really powerful dragoness, and she doesn't seem to be showing any sign of relenting."

"Don't forget about all the things she saying," said Draco. "Much as you may think she's bluffing, I'm still worried because she could be telling the truth that she's holding back her true power, just by looking at her. She looks so eerily calm and confident, as if she doesn't seem to care whether we fight her altogether or not."

"I'm sure I can be able to take her out singlehandedly," replied Cynder. "Besides, this is mostly a personal thing as I'm the only one she wants to fight. She merely sees you all as acceptable targets just because of your association with me."

"We understand, Cynder," said Jakkin. "I can tell that this is goin' to be a fight to the bitter end, so ya better try to win this battle for us."

"Just remember that if you find yourself in a pinch, we'll be coming to help you anyway," said Torden. "As we have agreed back when we formed our group, we're all in this together."

Cynder nodded, even though she felt that there was no need for her friends to help her.

"Let's just join Bowser, Darky, Tails, and Blaze," said Percival. "Best that we don't distract Cynder so much as she needs to really focus on her battle with Ash."

With that, the dragons backed away from the battlefield. Draco stood beside Bowser, who held him close while he wondered what was happening.

"Hey, Draco," he began. "What gives? Why aren't you and the others going to fight alongside Cynder?"

"Don't worry, Bowser, it's alright," said Draco. "She wanted to fight Ash on her own."

Tails, Darky and Bowser were shocked. They never expected that Cynder would be so brave and bold against a powerful opponent.

"Is she nuts?" exclaimed Tails. "It's downright suicide! There's no way she could be able to defeat Ash on her own!"

"Oh no," said Darky sadly. "She could be killed!"

"I wouldn't fret if I were you," said Blaze all of a sudden.

"Huh?"

The group turned to Blaze who continued to watch Cynder and Ash preparing their fight. She smiled, feeling very confident that her student was going to emerge victorious.

"What do mean by not to worry, Blaze?" asked Lily. "Ash is a really tricky and dangerous dragon that she makes the Pyre Squad look like a bunch of chumps!"

"You don't know Cynder like I do," said Blaze. "She is a highly trained and disciplined dragon who learned so much from me. She was merely thirteen years old when I first met her during my travels in Norway. Despite being fairly young, she has displayed a lot of potential, power that she was yet to bring out, strength that was untapped. As a dragon master, I was amazed and impressed by her skills that I knew she was kind of dragon I've been looking for."

"I remember that very well," said Tails. "And that was before I reunited with you while I was on my vacation in London."

"Indeed it was, Tails," replied Blaze. "But anyway, after teaching Cynder how to find balance within herself, and also after she learned some valuable lessons of friendship on her own, she had come of age and became much stronger as the years passed. Still, I knew that she had still much to learn about herself, so I arranged that she would begin her journey across the world to look for new friends that she can form a group with."

"There's no doubt that Cynder has gone a long way over the years," said Draco. "I also remember the day that we first met, which occurred not too long after you and Tails got together."

"Yeah, and I was intrigued in getting to know you after I learned that you and Tails are close friends," said Blaze. "I'm glad you and Cynder also got together after defeating the Dark Queen, Draco."

"It was a difficult fight, but we managed to pull it off working together," said Torden. "Now we have the daughter to worry about."

"Maybe it will be best that we stay quiet now and watch the fight," said Tails.

"Good idea, Tails," said Blaze.

While the dragons watched, Ash smirked at Cynder who stood silently still as she stared at her, determined to bring her down once and for all.

"So, princess," said Ash. "Are we going to fight, or are we going to continue this useless chit-chat?"

"For the last time, stop calling me that!" hissed Cynder. "We're going to fight!"

"Very well then," said Ash. "But know this! I am going to obliterate you, one way or another! You should be scared, because this match will definitely be your last!"

"I am not afraid of you," said Cynder. "Even if you may think you're more powerful than me, I'm still determined to give it my very best, for Draco, for Darky, for Blaze, and for all of my friends who have shown me support! All the same, they'll stand up for me should I ever go down in this fight!"

"Very touching indeed," said Ash in a disgusted tone of voice. "They're just the kind of words that only a fool would spout from her mouth! Well, enough is enough! Prepare to meet your doom! I'm going to enjoying marking this niche as your grave!"

With that, Ash charged straight at Cynder with the intention of crippling her. Despite having her body battered before getting it back, she was still able to hold her ground against the albino Twilight Storm. The two dragons pounded away at each other in a flurry of scratches and tail whips. Soon, they engaged in a lock and neither of them showed any sign of yielding. Cynder saw it as an opportunity to deliver a sneak attack on Ash, and she struck her on the face with her tail, causing a scar near her left eye.

"Argh!" she grunted. "My beautiful face is ruined! Now you've done it, you filthy little twerp!"

"It takes one to know one!" retorted Cynder.

"YOU'RE DEAD, CYNDER!" screamed Ash. She flew up into the air, looked down to Cynder, and then proceeded to let out a destructive plasma burst attack, intensifying its power with each second.

Cynder quickly realised that it meant trouble as the attack not only had enough power to wipe out life in one fell swoop, but also to destroy the entire planet.

"What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed. "Are you insane? You'll blow up the planet!"

"I DON'T CARE!" thundered Ash as she increased the power of her plasma burst. "I'M PRINCESS ASH, THE ONE AND ONLY DAUGHTER OF THE DARK QUEEN! MY FAMILY ALIGNS WITH EVIL, AND I INTEND TO GO THAT PATH!"

Immediately, Ash released her attack. Cynder fought back by blocking it with her own plasma burst. Both attacks locked in, but it became clear that Ash had the upper hand as she had put more power. Struggling, Cynder screamed as she intensified her attack. The plasma bursts continued going upward and downward, and when Cynder finally reached full power, she was able to push the attack upward towards Ash. The albino Twilight Storm tried to get away, but she was caught and propelled up high into the sky. Ash got out of the attack as soon as she had reached cloud level. The plasma burst continued careening upwards before disintegrating into nothingness.

 _Such immense power,_ she thought. _Cynder surely has gotten really strong, and I'm very impressed that she still has her natural cunning streak, despite being softened by the teachings of lesser beings. In the end, though, all her efforts will be for naught, for I have finally reached the point where I can be able to reveal my hidden and most powerful form to her. Soon, the tables will be turned for her and everyone else she held dear will discover the true meaning of pain and suffering!_

Ash flew all the way down to the battlefield where Cynder was waiting. The others thought the battle was over, but the Twilight Storm knew better, and no doubt that the battle was going to continue.

"I must say, Cynder, you really are what I expected from my own kind," she began. "Your cleverness, your shrewdness, you're a chip off the old block!"

"This proves that you should never underestimate me," said Cynder. "You should just give up and apologise for your wrongdoings, as none of this is worth the bloodshed."

"Bah! More senseless namby-pamby tripe to sympathise with mammals!" scoffed Ash. "Where's your dragon pride, Cynder? We dragons are born to fight, conquer the lands, and stamp out the weak! Surely some of your partners should understand that as well!"

"Percival, Lily, and Torden have been raised to love and respect every living thing, and they've learned that from other like-minded dragons," said Cynder. "But the point is that together, we found balance within ourselves, and that's enough to beat you."

Ash grinned malevolently. "You still don't get it," she said. "I'm about to show you a power I've been holding for so long, and now's the time for me to unleash it!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** A hidden power? That doesn't sound good! Wait for the second chapter to find out what kind of power Ash is about to reveal to our heroes!


	2. Chapter 2: The Demonic Transformation

**Chapter 2 – The Demonic Transformation  
**

"What kind of power?" Cynder asked. "For all I know, there's your Alpha form, which I could be able to use so that we keep things balanced between us."

"I wasn't talking about my Alpha form, Cynder," said Ash. "You see, I have a form that's much greater and more powerful, but I'm still deliberating on whether I should reveal it or not, because this form is somewhat radical, so terrifying, so monstrous…"

"But how can that be possible?"

"Alright, to make things easier for you, I'll go straight to the point," replied Ash. "Let's just say that when I reach this form, the odds you have at winning will be completely stacked against you."

The dragons watched as the battle now became a conversation between Cynder and Ash. They have heard everything, and already, they were starting to worry about what was to come. The news about Ash's hidden form made them felt very uneasy.

"Cynder has got to be way in over her head to think she could defeat Ash on her own," said Charonus. "Especially when she mentioned that she's hiding a really dangerous form!"

"If what she's saying is true, then Cynder really is in serious trouble," added Draco.

"Try not to worry too much, guys," said Blaze. "Despite Ash claiming that she would be indestructible in her transformed state, Cynder might still have a chance to defeat her if she uses her brooch to reach her Alpha form."

"Do you think she have a fighting chance against Ash?" asked Percival.

Blaze looked on with uncertainty. "I don't know," she replied. "The least we can do is just stand back for now and wait until it is absolutely necessary to help her out."

The dragons nodded, but they were unsure that Cynder would be able to handle what Ash was going to reveal to her.

"It's a real shame that it has to be this way, Cynder," said Ash as she stared at her rival. "I have come to take a liking towards you. Your powers are almost equal to mine, and the fact that we came from royal backgrounds including that we're both Twilight Storms, you could see that we're not so different. We could make a powerful force if we rule the world as the two Twilight Storm princesses."

"Your thoughts betray you, Ash," said Cynder. "I could sense that there really is something going on within you. I don't believe you really want to follow in the Dark Queen's footsteps, and there's no way you can be able to persuade me into aligning to your cause."

"If that's what you believe about me, then you are absolutely foolish," scoffed Ash. "What makes you think I don't want to carry on my family's legacy?"

"Well, to start, you're doing nothing but dragging on our conversation," said Cynder. "Secondly, you seem so reluctant in trying to finish me off, so I could sense that there's conflict in you, which could mean that you might have some goodness deep down, and even though you may deny it, it could actually go a long way."

Ash thought deeply for a moment on what Cynder, and as she searched herself, she began to feel something she had never expected before. She could not decipher what it was, but she could sense that it was telling her that she does not have to fight Cynder to prove her might and that she should forge her own path. For a moment, it seemed as if she was about to come to her senses, but all at once, she snapped back, and laughed maniacally.

"You really think you can be able to sway the great and powerful Princess Ash to the light?" she asked in a mocking fashion. "I'm sorry to say, Cynder, but you are sadly mistaken! It's my destiny to bring forth a new age of darkness and evil, something which my mother failed thanks to you! Why don't you just admit that you're afraid to fight me because you know you're going to lose? You can continue on this senseless talk, but it won't do any good for you. There's no point in prolonging the inevitable!"

"I will continue to stand my ground, Ash," said Cynder. "You should really embrace those feelings you're trying to hold back as they're not a sign of weakness. It shows that you really strive for something that does not involve murder and terrorism."

"Again, just a pretext to sympathise with the weak, but whatever," retorted Ash. "Fine, then, if you will not fight, then you will face your destruction at the hands of yours truly!"

Cynder readied himself to defend against Ash's offensive, but the albino Twilight Storm had other ideas. She grinned nastily as she prepared to begin her transformation. "Enough talking," she said. "The time has come, and I will eliminate you! Allow me to show you my greatest surprise!"

With that, Ash clenched her fists and positioned herself in a stance. Grunting, she focused entirely on herself, and soon a red aura emanated around her. Black lightning crackled as the aura engulfed Ash completely. The dragons watched in shock at what they just saw.

"Whoa, did you see that?" exclaimed Draco.

"She's goin' to do it," said Jakkin as he gritted his teeth. "I could sense her power level rising!"

"Oh no, this is bad!" panicked Percival. "Is she changing to her Alpha form?"

"I'm afraid she's not," said Blaze. "Her aura would have been different if it was. This one, on the other hand, is very different. It looks dark and dangerous even."

Tails noticed something as the transformation progressed, and it made him stricken with horror. The aura was growing rapidly, and the lightning crackled intensely. He could tell that they were in for something beyond their wildest dreams.

"Oh, my goodness," he gasped. "Take cover, everyone, quick!"

"What, what's going on?" asked Torden.

"I'm afraid this is really it," said Tails. "We're in for a nightmarish experience!"

Tails could not be farther from the truth. As the aura surrounding Ash expanded, dark clouds formed in the sky, followed by violent winds and lightning. It was like if the planet was collapsing in on itself. Cynder held on tightly, and she have had enough that she attempted to attack Ash with her plasma bursts while she was still transforming. Unfortunately, the attacks proved ineffective as they just disintegrated when they hit the aura. Then suddenly, she noticed something going inside, though she could only see Ash's silhouette. The albino Twilight Storm was starting to change physically. Her body began to grow, and all the while, her claws in her paws and feet became sharper and curved like razor blades. Next, her wingspan stretched even longer. But the most shocking thing Cynder noticed was that Ash's face was morphing from resembling a dragon to something else, and her eyes have changed from blue irises to a fiery red that took up both her eyes. She looked nothing like a dragon anymore as she had assumed a completely different form. Cynder gulped, realising that it was something horrific. Desperately, she charged towards the aura and tried to penetrate it with her claws, but it was no good. She could not be able to strike down Ash, and soon she was pushed away by the force of the aura. All she could now was watch with horror as the transformation drew near its completion.

Blinded by the flashes, Tails, Blaze, and the dragons held tightly to each other, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Holy crap, dude!" cried Torden. "That's totally unbelievable!"

"It's exactly what we have feared!" shouted Blaze. "Ash must have finished transforming!"

"I'm scared!" wailed Draco. "How will we be able to defeat her now?"

"Let's hope Cynder knows what she doing and is really up to speed for this fight!" cried Percival. "I could sense Ash's power! It has skyrocketed exponentially!"

Eventually, the flashes have started to dissipate, but the sky was still jet black while a glowing titanic figure was in place where Ash stood. Then, the aura burst everywhere, and finally, it seemed as if everything had calmed down when the sky regained its blue colour.

Cynder had her eyes shut and covered by her arms, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of really large three-toed feet standing in front of her. Slowly, she looked up to see a giant white and blue muscle-bound humanoid shape with a monstrously hideous demon head. There were markings all over the body, and the only thing the monster wore was a silver chest plate covering its pronounced bosom, a silver garment resembling a thong, and there were spiky silver cuffs on the monster's wrists and ankles, including a silver choker and tail bangle. The demon's eyes began to glow a bright red as it loomed over at Cynder, who quickly recognised the monster towering before her.

"So this is the form you've been hiding all this time, Ash," she said.

"That's right," Ash bellowed in a now deep, demonic tone of voice. "And I have achieved absolute power!"

Tails and the dragons cringed in fear as they eyed the gigantic monster.

"That is Ash?" squeaked Draco as he quivered in fright. "She looks downright terrifying!"

"Yeah, no doubt!" shuddered Percival. "A lot like the demons of the underworld!"

"I've seen all kinds of dark magic before, but this is something I've never seen before," said Bowser grimly.

Lily felt disgusted at the sight of Ash's new form. "What an ugly-looking freak!" she exclaimed. "I hope Cynder takes down that monstrosity quickly!"

"Don't expect this to be an easy fight," warned Blaze. "At this form, Ash is virtually indestructible!"

"But what about her Alpha form?" Darky asked. "Surely she could be able to beat her if she makes use of her brooch."

"She could, but that doesn't mean that she can," said Blaze. "It's a very slim chance, and it would be likely that we'll all have to help Cynder out when things get real intense."

"This really sounds like suicide," said Draco nervously. "I'm not sure if I can be able to handle such incredible power."

"But you'll still have to, Draco," said Charonus. "That's part of working as a team."

"Well, my puny little insect," boomed Ash. "It's time we begin the final phase of this round!"

"You don't scare me!" shouted Cynder. "I'm going to take you down!"

Laughing, Ash proceeded to crush Cynder with her first, but the Twilight Storm managed to evade her attack just in time. She flew upward and spat an array of plasma bursts towards the demoness, but unfortunately, they had little to no effect on her.

"Ha! You think your attacks can damage me?" thundered Ash. "You should know by now that it is useless to try to stop me! This form makes the Alpha one you're familiar with look as gentle like a sleeping kitten!"

"Darn it!" pouted Cynder. "I better power up quickly!"

But before she could do anything, Ash pounded Cynder, sending her crashing to the ground. She struggled to get up, but the attack did so much damage that she felt very hurt.

"This is the end of the line for you!" bellowed Ash. "Face it now, you truly are beaten!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Whoa! Ash has transformed into a powerful gigantic tyrannical demon! Does Cynder stand a chance? Will she have to resort to getting help from her friends? This is definitely going to be one epic battle that will continue to rage on!


	3. Chapter 3: The Power of Teamwork

**Chapter 3 – The Power of Teamwork  
**

Tails, Blaze, and the dragons became more distraught as they watched Cynder get pummelled by the transformed Ash. They realised that the situation was become direr by the minute and that something has to be done before it could get worse.

"That's it!" shouted Bowser as he clenched his fists angrily. "She has gone too far this time! I'm going to take her down before she kills Cynder!"

"No, Bowser, don't do it!" pleaded Draco. "You won't stand a chance against Ash, not in that form she's in now!"

"Don't try to stop me!" roared Bowser, and he charged towards to gigantic demoness. He then began to pound away at Ash's legs in the hopes of landing a bruise on her, but to no avail as Ash remained unimpaired and Bowser was left groaning in pain with swollen fists. Punching Ash's legs felt like punching extremely resilient walls of metal.

Ash looked down to see the Koopa King paralysed from his hurt fists and she grinned menacingly.

"So you think you could be able to take me out, eh?" she hissed. "Well, you're wasting your time, you puny turtle. I'm all powerful in this form, while you're just a filthy half-breed."

With that, Ash delivered a swift kick that sent Bowser soaring into the sky and he crashed shell-first into the ground.

"Bowser!" cried Draco and he rushed to the Koopa's aid to make sure he was okay. Fortunately, Bowser was not seriously injured, but he was reeling from the kick, and he felt a sharp pain in his back and he could not get up.

"Ouch, I never expected she would pack a strong kick," he groaned.

"It's lucky your shell protected you from the fall," said Torden. "That could have killed you otherwise."

"Yes, but there goes my back again," said Bowser slowly. "I can't get up at all…"

"Tails, come here, quick!" called Draco. "Bowser's back is crippled from the fall and he needs help!"

"Coming, Draco!" shouted Tails, and he hurried to check on Bowser. He could tell that the Koopa was under a lot of pain and needed treatment for his back. Blaze stood nearby so that she could help Tails haul Bowser to safety.

"Looks like he'll need to be taken back to the village so he can rest and have his back healed," said Tails.

"I'll help you with Bowser, Tails," said Blaze. "Draco, you and the rest of the group help Cynder in the fight with Ash, and as for you Darky, come with us."

"But, Blaze, I want to see them take down the demoness!" whined Darky.

"I know, but something tells me that this battle is going to get really ugly," said Blaze. "It will be best that you let them continue the battle without worrying about you or anyone else getting hurt."

"Better to do what Blaze says, Darky," said Draco. "This is a really serious fight, and I can't afford to lose you."

"Alright then," conceded Darky. "But please promise that you'll all be okay when it's over."

"Draco, catch!" shouted Tails and he tossed a healing potion to Draco. "Use it on Cynder so she can be revitalised for the fight!"

"Got it!" called Draco as he caught the potion in his paws. "Thanks a lot, Tails!"

"Well, it's time we get Bowser back to the village," said Blaze. "I'll be back as soon as I can guys! Win this one for us!"

"Sure thing, we will, Blaze!" called the dragons, and as soon as Blaze, Tails, and Darky left with Bowser, they turned to Ash, who was preparing to attack the departing foursome.

"No one is going anywhere until I say so!" she bellowed as she intensified her attack.

"You stop right there!" hissed Torden angrily, and he, Jakkin, Lily, and Percival flew straight up to Ash to intervene while Draco quickly went to Cynder to give her the healing potion Tails handed to him.

"How dare you disrupt me!" snarled Ash. "You're going to regret this!"

"I don't think so!" declared Torden. "It's seven of us against you!"

Ash smirked evilly. "Even so, I'm still the most powerful, so all your efforts will be futile!"

"We still have our brooches, so if we power up and battle together, we might stand a chance!" continued Torden as he took out his Lightning Brooch. The other dragons followed suit and displayed their brooches that shone brightly.

"Your powered up forms will still not be enough to take me down," laughed Ash. "When all is said and done, you're all nothing but a bunch of worthless maggots!"

While the dragons prepared to charge up to their powered forms, Ash was getting ready to attack them with a deadly plasma burst. They could feel their strength increasing, but already Ash has managed to get her attack charged up in record time.

"C'mon guys, let's get to our powered forms, quickly!" urged Jakkin. "If we don't, Ash is going to destroy us!"

"We're trying!" groaned the dragons.

"Almost there," said Charonus as he drew closer to reaching his Mega X form.

"Looks like you're in a jam right now, losers," mocked Ash. "This is the end of the line for you lot now! Get ready to die!"

Ash was just about to unleash her attack, when all of a sudden, a fully charged Fire Blast and

Plasma Burst attack struck her from behind the back. Caught by surprise, Ash spun around to find the ones behind the sneak attack, and soon, Cynder and Draco, now in their powered forms as they were glowing and surrounded by their auras, rose up to the sky, glaring at their foe.

"Didn't expect to see us here, did you?" Cynder asked.

"What in the…?" spluttered Ash as she looked at Cynder, who was no longer bruised and dinged up. "I could have sworn that I've taken you down! How did you recover so quickly?"

"The healing potion we were given did the trick," said Draco. "Now it's your turn to be taken down!"

"That is so unfair!" thundered Ash. "I'm going to destroy you all if it's the last thing I do!"

"We shall see about that," said Cynder. "Are you ready for this, Draco?"

Draco was feeling a bit nervous, but he knew that his friends were counting on him to take part in the fight. "I'm as ready as I'm every going to be," he said with grim determination. "She is going to pay for what she did to Bowser!"

"Good," said Cynder. "How about the rest of you, guys?"

"We've all reached our powered forms," replied the dragons.

Cynder checked her teammates to make sure that they were ready. She was pleased that they have used their brooches and are now glowing and in their respected auras.

"Excellent," she said. "Now, let's teach that demoness a lesson she'll never forget!"

"Alright!" replied the dragons in unison.

"You're wasting your time!" laughed Ash. "Even with the seven of you combined and powered up, I'm still the most powerful dragon alive! You can never defeat me!"

"You may be powerful, Ash, but the one thing you lack is balance," retorted Cynder. "We're going to show you the true power of teamwork!"

With that, the seven dragons formed a group and charged towards Ash. Charonus, Percival and Lily attacked from the left side, Torden and Jakkin took the right, and Draco and Cynder went upfront against the giant demon.

"I'll tear you all to pieces!" bellowed Ash as she endured the attacks. "There's no escape!"

"We better combine our attacks together," Cynder shouted to the other dragons. "But first, Ash needs to be immobilised so that we will have enough time to charge up."

"Allow us to do just that!" called Torden, Charonus and Percival.

"How would you like to be roasted by my super Plasma Burst!" declared Ash, and she opened her mouth to unleash her next attack.

"Get ready to strike when I tell you to," Torden instructed Charonus and Percival.

The two dragons nodded and waited for the right moment. As soon as Ash was getting close to reaching full power of her Plasma Burst, Torden knew it was the signal.

"Now!" he shouted.

Torden and Charonus flew up and just before Ash could unleash her Plasma Burst, they stomped on her forehead, causing the attack to explode inside her mouth and spread out from her nose, which the other dragons nimbly dodged.

Percival then poised his Light Brooch right at Ash's line of sight. The brooch started to glow, and then it emitted a blinding light that paralysed the demon right on the spot.

"Oh, my beautiful eyes!" roared Ash as she covered her eyes with her hands. The stinging sensation lasted for a few minutes, which gave the dragons enough time to get together and combine their attacks into one.

"Come on, everyone!" urged Cynder as she built up her Plasma Burst. "We only have a short amount of time to pull this off!"

"We're trying!" shouted the dragons.

"This is really going to drain a lot from me," groaned Charonus while he intensified his Psystrike, a technique he had not used for a very long time due to its effect of weakening him whenever he used it.

They put every ounce of their strength into their elemental balls. Once they have mustered up all that they could, they sent it to Cynder's Plasma Burst, and by now the ball of energy expanded as it accumulated their power, getting stronger by the second.

"Alright, it seems to be strong enough to take down Ash," said Cynder. "Better brace yourselves! The impact will be quite a doozy!"

"Guys, I think I can't carry on flying much longer," panted Charonus as he felt his strength dissipating rapidly. He then started to fall down.

"Hold on, Charonus!" cried Draco. He dived down to catch the falling Charizard. The others also joined in to help.

Cynder remained flying and she directed the energy ball straight to Ash. "It's all over for you now!" she shouted, and she flew down to take cover from the imminent explosion.

Ash regained her sight. Groaning, she looked around for the dragons, and she then noticed a huge ball of energy coming towards her. She tried to evade the attack, but it was too late, and she roared in fury and panic while the ball engulfed her entirely.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Man, this really took me awhile to finish, but at least it's done. This sure is one hell of a battle between the dragons and demon Ash! Could this be it? Have they finally won? We shall see in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4: Woes of a Princess

**Chapter 4 – Woes of a Princess**

Blaze the Cat plodded along the path to the area where Ash and the dragons were having their fight. It had been exhausting carrying Bowser back to the village, but thankfully she had Tails and Darky to help her, and then Ignatius and Shu once they returned to rest him in Draco's hut. She considered that the team may have managed to topple Ash, but she was well aware of how powerful she was in her demon form.

"If they are still struggling, maybe I might be able to assist them," she said to herself. "I may not come close to being as powerful as the dragons, but I could definitely hold my ground quite well."

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard, and then it was followed by a powerful gust of wind that ripped and teared through the forest. Several trees were uprooted and sent propelling into the air.

"Whoa, what was that?!" exclaimed Blaze as she held on tightly against the force of the wind. Quickly, she realised that it was coming from the battle. "Oh no!" she gasped. "Cynder and her team are probably in trouble! I better hurry and come to their aid in that case!"

So Blaze struggled against the violent as she tried to move and quickly as she could. She could only hope that nothing bad was happening and that the dragons were in one piece.

 _That explosion could have either been from them or from Ash,_ she thought. _Whatever the case, I need to see if they're alright! This is certainly a doozy!_

"Just hang in there, Cynder and Draco!" she panted desperately. "I'm coming to help the both of you and the rest of your teammates!"

* * *

"Hold on tight, everyone!" shouted Cynder as the wind continued to blow wildly from the explosion of their energy ball.

"Oh, man!" exclaimed Draco as he held on close to Cynder. "That attack sure packed a wallop! Do you think it was powerful enough to take down Ash?"

"I don't know," replied Cynder, drawing Draco closer with her wing. "All I can say that the energy ball is strong enough to do significant damage to her."

The dragons huddled close to each other while the wind swirled violently, and at last, it started to dissipate. Soon after the wind ceased blowing, the dragons, now back in their normal forms, were able to release themselves from their huddle, and they wondered on the outcome of the battle.

"Is she defeated?" the dragons asked Cynder.

"I'm not sure," replied Cynder. "Let's head back to the battlefield and see for ourselves."

So the dragons made their way into the large opening and surveyed the aftermath. A large crater has been formed and a few streams of smoke were pouring upward. Several trees were scorched. However, they could not see Ash anywhere.

Draco sighed in relief. "I can't believe that it's over," he said. "We actually did it!"

"Yes, we sure did!" said Torden happily. "Thank goodness this battle has come to pass!"

Cynder was not so sure. While it was no doubt that she and her team put a lot into their attack, she could still sense Ash's energy signal, though it was rather faint.

Presently, Blaze arrived, and she was panting heavily after running so much.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, wiping her brow. "I just heard a massive explosion followed by the strong wind blowing, that I was so worried that something might have happened to all of you!"

"We're all okay, Blaze," said Cynder. "The battle is over, and we have won against Ash."

"How's Bowser?" asked Draco. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Bowser is perfectly fine, Draco," replied Blaze. "He'll soon be healed from his bad back and will be just as good as new. Tails, Darky, Ignatius and Shu are watching over him as we speak."

"That's good to know that he will get better," smiled Draco. "Thanks for that, Blaze."

The purple cat nodded as she smiled back. She looked ahead to see the result of the battle that took place, and saw the large crater where the even plain grass used to be. Streams of smoke were still seeping upward from within the crater. This made her assume that it was where the explosion set off.

"So you have defeated Ash," she said.

"Or at least subdued her," said Cynder. "I believe our energy ball, which we made from combining our attacks into one, and I must say that it has done its job."

"Yeah, but doing the Psystrike blast really drained a lot of my energy," said Charonus. "This has got to be the toughest battle I've ever tackled, much more than the ones from my homeworld."

"Still, I have no idea how we're going to explain this huge crater," said Percival, feeling rather worried. "After all, this fight was done right inside the national park."

"Let's not worry about that too much," said Blaze. "All that matters is that you have won the battle and Ash won't be a threat to anyone, for now, of course. I'm very impressed with the lot of you. You've grown very strong, especially with all that training in Hawaii and the Osaka Beast Convention."

Cynder could not agree more with her teacher. Indeed, all the trials and hard work she had went through since the day she, Draco, and Darky began their journey across the globe had paid off.

Draco turned to his friends. "Now that it's done, why don't we all head back to our village?" he asked. "I'm exhausted, and I could do with something to stuff my belly."

"Hungry as always, Draco," laughed Jakkin. "You Charizards should take part in an eatin' contest or somethin'."

"I think it's about time we should be going back," said Blaze. "All of you deserve a well-deserved rest after everything that has transpired today."

"About time too," said Cynder. "I never thought this day would have been so hectic, from Ash stealing my body to fighting her demon form."

The team started to make their way out of the ravaged clearing of the forest. It seemed as if they could finally rest and relax from their affair with Ash, when suddenly…

"Just where do you think you're going?" a deep yet familiar voice boomed.

This made the group stop in their tracks. Feeling a sense of dread, the group slowly turned to the direction the voice came from, and to their surprise and horror, there was Ash, still in her demon form and heavily battered and bruised from the attack. She had an angry and demented look on her face as she glared at the group, seething with fury.

"Oh no!" shrieked Lily. "Ash is back!"

Ash was panting heavily as she felt the pain all over her body.

"There's no way I could have been downed by a common black Twilight Storm, a bunch of low-class dragons, and two half-breeds…" she groaned. "How could this be possible that I, the albino Twilight Storm princess and daughter of the Dark Queen, would face such humiliation?"

"Because we believed in ourselves," said Cynder. "What you lack is balance, Ash. You also don't understand that teamwork and friendship is what makes us stronger."

Ash struggled to stand up and she looked down at her rival. She assessed her, seeing the look of determination in her face, and she took the words with much thought. Then, she started to laugh maniacally.

"Oh yeah?" continued Cynder. "You think that's funny, do you? Well, I'm sorry to say, but that is the truth, and you know it!"

"Do you honestly think you have won?" bellowed Ash. "It really makes no difference to me! Enjoy your pathetic victory while you are able, you lowly worms! This wretched world will be destroyed! You, your friends, your culture, everything you hold dear shall be annihilated!"

"That girl just doesn't know when to quit!" hissed Torden. "We won this fight, fair and square! Not to worry, Cynder, we got your back!"

"I'm afraid it's no use, everyone," said Cynder in a defeated tone. "We're not in top condition to be able to transform back into our powered selves, and in our current state, we won't be a match for Ash."

"Say what?" exclaimed Jakkin.

"This is bad," said Draco sadly. "This is really bad."

"We can't give up now," said Torden indignantly. "Come on, guys! We'll trounce that demoness or die trying!"

"Yes, that's it," Ash grinned malevolently. "Try to strike me down all you can! You're only just hurting yourself!"

Ash then crossed her arms and placed them out to her chest. Suddenly, a pink aura emanated around her. Everyone wondered what she was planning out while disbelieved at the thought that she still had more power within her. Cynder, on the other hand, knew that Ash was preparing to unleash another attack, and she could tell by the crazed expression on her face that she was becoming more desperate to eliminate her and her team.

"This shall finish you off!" she declared. "Better luck next time, losers! Then again, there won't be a next time for all of you!"

With that, Ash readied to unleash her coup, but then, deep within her, something was starting to stir, causing her to hesitate. Ash wrestled with her emotions while looking at her helpless victims, trying to break free from the inner turmoil so that she could deliver the finishing blow, but the emotions were starting to overwhelm her.

"That's enough!" shouted Blaze as she stepped in front the dragons and looked directly up at Ash with a stern look on her face.

"Master Blaze?" exclaimed Ash. "What are you doing here? Get out of the way! I shall deal with you once I'm through with Cynder and her team!"

"Never!" declared Blaze. "If you intend to kill my top student and her team, you'll have to go through me first, Ash! I'm the one you should take your anger out on for being denied what Cynder had rightfully earned!"

Furiously, Ash tried to attack, but as Blaze continued to fix her eyes straight at her, she was in a state of confusion, and the emotions eating away at her only intensified.

"It's not Cynder's fault that you never got the chance to be trained by me," continued Blaze. "If there's anyone you have to blame, it's me, but I had a good reason. Your mind was not in the right place. Your mother twisted your mind into embracing darkness and evil, which made you a potential danger to the academy. Cynder and her team were right to destroy the Dark Queen as she had planned to corrupt this world. Despite the rejection, I had a feeling that there was a trace of goodness within you as I don't believe that you really mean what you've been declaring all this time, hence why you're so reluctant to do away Cynder."

Ash thought deeply about what Blaze had said, and then, she felt something that she never felt before. Feelings of guilt and remorse were overtaking her desire for revenge and murder while she reminisced on her past. Suddenly, she cried out in agony as smoke started to seep out all around her. The smoke grew thicker and covered her entirely. The dragons wondered what was happening now, but Blaze could tell that Ash was starting to change. At last, the smoke cleared away, and Ash was back to her normal self. She collapsed to ground and started to weep.

"What have I done…?" she sobbed.

Confused, Cynder and her friends approached Ash, yet keeping a safe distance in case she was feigning to catch them off guard. However, as the albino Twilight Storm continued to weep, Cynder could sense that she was feeling very remorseful.

"What's wrong, Ash?" the dragons asked.

Ash said nothing while she kept on crying.

"Cynder… I'm so sorry…" she said all of a sudden.

The dragons were shocked by Ash's words, as it was the first time she had ever apologised for something. Cynder and Percival were curious to know what made Ash had a change of heart, but Jakkin was not convinced.

"I'm very sorry for all the atrocities I have inflicted on all of you," continued Ash. "You see, it wasn't really my mother's demise that driven me to cause misery on you. That was just a front so that you won't discover my true reasons. Blaze denied me the chance to be trained by her while Cynder got accepted, and I've been jealous of her ever since. When I heard that the six of you defeated my mother, it had made me jump at the chance to get my own back by trying to murder all of you."

"Well, that explains everything," said Cynder. "But I don't get it. Why you, of all dragons, want to be trained by Blaze? I thought you hated non-dragons and you were always going on about how we're the strongest species and that mammals were inferior."

"That's not the real me," replied Ash slowly while brushing away a tear. "In all actuality, I found mammals fascinating and I wanted to get to know one, possibly become friends with one. My mother, on the other hand, did not approve of my aspirations and she had been hammering her ideologies onto me without giving me any other choice. I honestly thought her views were downright monstrous, and it was a path I never really wanted to take."

"I understand your feelings, Ash," said Cynder. "However, you can't really fault her for all your actions, especially with what you've done here and back at Hawaii."

"Seems to me that you're probably bored with life," said Blaze. "You're a member of the royal family, but that's all you could show. As a result, life has become empty and hollow for you that you feel unhappy with your situation."

"It's just that everywhere I go, I see common dragons feeling so happy mingling with mammals while I don't have squat," said Ash. "So I tried to hide my unhappiness by acting so proud of my heritage and being intolerant towards mammals to the point where I was dangerously close to being like my mother."

"Like I said before, your mind is not in the right place, young one," said Blaze. "You've become so self-absorbed and consumed by your pride that you forgot how to be happy, and that's why you have no balance within yourself."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Finally we're getting somewhere! It seems that Ash might probably atone for her misdeeds! Does she have it in her to reform and become a good dragon? We shall see soon enough! After hearing her backstory, I think it's hard to not feel sorry for her.


	5. Chapter 5: The Strange Request

**Chapter 5 – The Strange Request**

Taking deeply much thought of what she was hearing, Ash wondered if she had to find the balance within herself. She was still having doubts that she could be able to do it on her own.

Charonus stepped forward. "Blaze is absolutely right, Ash," he said. "I sense that there is still anger within you, and you're having difficulties trying to control it. The only way you'll ever do so is if you find balance and peace within yourself."

"How do you know all that?" asked Ash. "You don't seem to have any internal struggles yourself."

"Believe me, I do know," replied Charonus. "I had the same kind of struggles myself when I was a young Charmander, and if it wasn't for Draco, Cynder and Bowser, I could have destroyed my own homeworld. The tragic loss of my parents, witnessing all those innocent lives being tortured or murdered by an evil organisation, it has built up a lot of anger inside of me which got progressively worse, but I fought against it even in my darkest hour, and it took the arrival of my three friends to make the difference. They brought me under the care of the elder Charizard and from there, I embarked on many journeys across my world, learning and finding balance within me, and it helped me improve in strength and character as I found myself keeping my repressed rage in control."

"I suppose you're right with what you're telling me," said Ash. "The only problem is that I have no idea where to start, and I don't know if I really have it in me to find balance, especially after all the teachings my mother gave me."

"Ash, the Dark Queen, your mother, was a lost cause," said Cynder. "It was really her anger and hatred which ultimately led to her downfall as we had no other choice but to make sure she wouldn't inflict harm on any non-dragon."

"It's never too late to change your ways," said Draco. "Take Bowser, for example. He was once arrogant and selfish, but because I never gave up on him and saw that there was more to him than his gruff exterior, he eventually saw the goodness within him and changed for the better."

"Although you may have considered yourself evil back there, I could tell that there is good in you since you hesitated to kill us when the opportunity was there," added Percival. "It can really go a long way, Ash, and all you have to do is take courage as you step into the path of atonement. Believe in yourself, and you will find peace within."

Ash thought even deeper, absorbing every single word told. She solemnly looked up the team, figuring out what choice she was about to make.

"Okay, I think the time has come for me to make up my mind," she began. "I'm going to start my road to reformation."

"I knew you would make the right choice," smiled Blaze. "You are starting a new chapter in your life, Ash, so you better make the best of what you can get."

"I'll do what I can, Blaze," said Ash. "Thing is, I'm still not sure of where to begin, and it would really help if I have someone who could be able to guide me through."

Blaze knew that Ash was right in that she needed some guidance so that she could not go off course and revert back to her wicked ways. She considered taking up the challenge of training the albino Twilight Storm princess, but then realised that she also had to focus on her dragon students back in the academy.

 _Maybe one of the dragons here could be more sufficient in being Ash's teacher,_ she thought. _I'm thinking that she would learn best with someone who she had a bit of a history with, like, say… hold on… I know just the one!_

Beaming, Blaze turned around and looked at the other dragons, who were all wondering what the Dragon Master was having in her mind.

"Yes, you will do!" she said at last as she pointed at Cynder. "You can be Ash's mentor!"

"What?" Cynder exclaimed as she placed her paw on her chest. "Are you saying that I'm going to teach Ash?"

The other dragons gasped. Ash was just as shocked as they were. She could hardly imagine that Blaze would consider her archrival, of all dragons, to be her teacher.

"Absolutely, Cynder," said Blaze. "I think it will be a good experience for you to learn how to teach dragons that needed proper training so that they can find balance within themselves, and Ash will benefit a lot from you."

"Blaze, I'm not sure if that's a good idea," said Jakkin. "Like, how are we supposed to know that Ash won't turn against us if she ever gets the chance?"

"You have to trust me on this, Jakkin," replied Blaze. "Now, I know Ash has done a lot of terrible things since your first encounter, but I could see in her eyes the remorse and determination to be a better dragon."

"I'm going to agree with Blaze on this," said Cynder. "This is not because she's my teacher, but because I could sense that Ash really isn't all that bad, which is why I asked Torden to spare her life back in the tournament. She just really needs someone to help her see the light, to unlearn all the bad teachings the Dark Queen inflicted on her."

Blaze nodded. "It's time for you to make something out of everything you learned under my tutelage, Cynder," she said. "Considering how Ash wanted to learn from me, I believe she will get what she wants if you pass my knowledge along to her."

"You have my word that I will do my best, Blaze," said Cynder. She then turned to Ash. "So, are you ready to patch things up with me? I promise you, you'll learn everything Blaze has taught me, so this is definitely something you wouldn't want to pass up. Let's put the whole rivalry behind us and start anew."

Cynder lifted her paw and reached out to Ash, hoping that she would do the same. Ash looked at Cynder thoughtfully. She was feeling grateful that she wanted to give her a chance and put aside their differences, but on the other hand, she was still feeling very guilty for all the bad deeds she had done to her and her friends.

"Uh, I don't know," she said slowly. "I appreciate you forgiving me and all that, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to start just yet."

"That's alright," said Cynder. "Take your time to decide, then when you feel ready, you can come to me and accept the offer."

"Also remember, I can be of assistance in showing you how to find your balance," added Charonus.

"Thanks very much, Cynder and Charonus," said Ash. "But for now, I'd like to be left alone for a while. I, uh, need to gather my thoughts and contemplate on my past to decide for myself where I will go from here. Hope you understand that."

"Anything you say, Ash," said Cynder as she nodded in approval. "And we understand what you're going through at the moment."

For the first time ever, Ash smiled, and after nodding to her newfound allies, she walked silently away.

Blaze smiled. "She'll come around," she said to the dragons. "I can guarantee that as I could that she wants to improve herself."

"Well, I certainly hope so," said Jakkin. "But I don't know if I can fully trust that girl."

"I don't trust her either, Jakkin, but maybe we should give her the benefit of a doubt and help her out," said Draco.

"It's the only way we can make sure that she will not succumb to darkness again," added Percival.

Jakkin thought for a moment. "I guess you're right," he said. "Still, I must say that it's a very unexpected and strange request Blaze appointed to Cynder."

"Look, I know you guys find it strange, but rest assure, I know what I'm doing," said Blaze. "I put trust in Cynder being capable of teaching Ash for a reason, you know. She has come of age, and I believe she is ready to follow in my footsteps in becoming a Dragon Master."

"Right you are, Blaze," said a deep, familiar voice.

Blaze and the dragons turned around, and they saw King Kurotsuki with a pleasant smile on his face.

"King Kurotsuki!" they exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I had been watching the fight from afar," replied King Kurotsuki. "And I must say that I'm very impressed with the way you handled Ash, and seeing her now attempting to turn over a new leaf has made me more than pleased. All of you have done well, and Blaze, you did an excellent job in helping her to realise the damage she has been doing to herself."

"Well, it was nothing, really," said Blaze modestly.

"Training her will not be an easy feat," continued King Kurotsuki. "It's great that you decided to make Cynder her mentor, Blaze, but it will take more than just one to show her the way. At least Charonus has offered to provide some assistance."

"We understand," said the dragons.

"Good to know," said King Kurotsuki. "All of you will have do your best with your newest challenge, because even though you've saved the world several times already, it's still far from safe as I can sense that evil is out there lurking in the shadows."

"Yeah, like the Obsidian Devourers," said Cynder.

"Not just them, Cynder," said Blaze. "Somehow, I can sense the darkness too, and strangely enough, it feels as if I have sensed that evil presence from somewhere before, but I don't know where."

"It's best that all of you prepare yourselves for when the time comes," said King Kurotsuki as he readied to make his departure. "So, for now, I shall wish you all good luck."

"Thank you very much, King Kurotsuki," said Blaze and the dragons as they bowed respectfully to the dragon king.

King Kurotsuki nodded solemnly, and he vanished into the forest. The group could only look at each other as they try to figure out what to do next.

"I think it's time we head back to the village," said Cynder. "Our work here is finally done."

"Yes, let's do that," said Draco. "All the same, I want to see how Bowser is doing."

"Good choice, Cynder," said Blaze. "Come on, everyone, let's be on our way."

"Yay, we're going back home!" exclaimed Lily happily, jumping with joy.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well, this is a surprise! Ash is slowly redeeming herself while Blaze appointed Cynder to be her former rival's mentor. Only one more chapter left!


	6. Chapter 6: The Great Nightriders Concert

**Chapter 6 – The Great Nightriders Concert  
**

Back at the village, Tails, Darky, Ignatius and Shu were waiting anxiously for Blaze and the dragons to return. Jimmy Lionheart had just arrived with some news, but after learning about the team's absence, he waited with the others.

"Where could they be?" he asked impatiently. "They're going to be really excited when they hear about what I'm about to tell you guys!"

"Patience, Jimmy," said Tails. "Blaze and the dragons should be back any minute now. They have to deal with a dragoness that was causing trouble earlier. It seems like the battle should be over by now."

"Does feel like an eternity, though," said Ignatius. "All I could hope is that they're alright."

"I'm hoping the same thing too," said Tails.

Jimmy looked at the Incineroar and Pikachu with utmost curiosity. "So, you two have become allies of the dragons, I hear," he began.

"Yes, we accompanied them so we could teach them the ways of the Anthro, which we've learned from Emperor Tomohiro of the Osaka Beast Convention," said Ignatius.

"Wait, a minute," said Jimmy all of a sudden. "You say you're from the Osaka Beast Convention?"

"Is that surprising to you?" asked Ignatius.

"No, it isn't," said Jimmy, feeling both amazed and pleased. "As a matter of fact, it's actually an honour to meet pupils of the great Emperor Tomohiro! He's a wise and powerful beast who unlocked the potential of many anthros!"

"Ah, so you do know who Emperor Tomohiro is," smiled Ignatius.

"Of course, I do!" exclaimed Jimmy. "Wow, this is really amazing!"

Just then, Shu cocked his ears as he heard footsteps in the distance. "Hey, guys," he said. "I think someone's coming!"

"Who is it?" asked Ignatius.

"I hear several footsteps coming closer," said Shu. "It must be a group or something."

Tails raised his left ear, and even he could hear the footsteps too. "They must be Blaze and the dragons coming closer," he said.

Sure enough, Blaze and the dragons came into view. They looked fairly tired out and longing for a rest in the huts. Blaze looked up and saw her friends waiting.

"We're back, everyone!" she called as she waved her hand.

"Blaze!" exclaimed Tails happily. "Good to see you and the team again!"

Tails ran towards Blaze and she spread her arms out, knowing too well with content what was coming next. He then slid into her embrace, and the two engaged in a long, passionate kiss. They were back together again, happy and complete. Jakkin just only gagged with disgust as he watched the fox and cat continue their intimacy.

"Feels good to be whole again, Tails," whispered Blaze as they broke their kiss.

"I'm so happy that you're safe, my firebrand," sighed Tails. "So what happened over there? Of course, aside from the whole body switching thing that Cynder managed to foil."

"Well, I haven't seen the entire battle, so Cynder should be able to tell you the details," said Blaze. "However, I'm sure you've felt that strong wind, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I have," said Tails as he remembered watching the trees that were dragged by the gale and nearly hit the huts. "Where did that came from? That was absolutely one of the most terrifying things I've seen!"

"About that," said Cynder as she blushed with embarrassment. "That wind was a result of an attack the team and I conjured up to take down Ash when she proved to be nearly invincible in that demon form, so I'm sorry about that."

"What kind of attack?" Ignatius asked.

"We actually combined our special attacks while we were in our powered forms to make one huge, powerful ball of energy," said Draco. "Cynder knew the attack would be very destructive, so we took cover when Cynder hurtled it towards Ash, and sure enough, it engulfed her completely."

"So what happened then after the attack caught her?" asked Tails. "Was she defeated? I doubt that would have happened, otherwise we would have seen you back at the village earlier on."

"Um, no, Tails," replied Cynder. "Ash was far from beaten, and we were so tired after that attack. Just when we thought it was all over, believe it or not, Ash started to feel a change of heart, for Blaze sensed that was conflict inside her and she encouraged her to let go of her hatred as this whole thing was due to a grudge she had with me."

"Are you serious?" exclaimed Darky. "Someone that despicable would change for the good? That's something I never expected before!"

"I wouldn't say that, buddy," called a voice from within Draco's hut. "You see, I've gone through the same kind of path before years ago thanks to my Charizard friend."

Bowser emerged from the hut, feeling as good as new.

"Bowser, you're all better!" exclaimed Draco, and he rushed to give the Koopa King a big hug.

"Whoa, take it easy there, Draco," laughed Bowser as hugged the Charizard back. "It feels good to be fully healed from my wounds."

"The special medicine sure did the trick," smiled Tails. "So, how's your back, Bowser?"

"Stronger than ever, Tails!" chuckled Bowser. "Get a load of this! I can withdraw back into my shell much quicker than ever!"

Bowser demonstrated his improved ability, and everyone was impressed.

"My goodness, Bowser," said Draco. "It's like you're a spring chicken again."

"Thanks for the compliment, Draco," smiled Bowser. "But I still consider myself young in looks and power, even if I'm in my fifties!"

Everyone laughed as they agreed with him.

"Anyway, continuing with what happened with Ash," said Cynder as she cleared her throat. "Turns out the whole reason she causes grief to us was because she blamed me for denied the opportunity to be trained by Blaze, when really she didn't want to as she had issues with anger and was being too much under the way of her mother, the Dark Queen."

"The Dark Queen has a daughter?" exclaimed Jimmy and he took up arms. "We should destroy her before she attempts to carry on her legacy!"

"No, there's no need for that," said Blaze hastily. "Ash has revealed that she never really wanted to be evil, and expressed that she actually does like mammals, but her dreams were frowned upon by her mother. We had a long talk, and for now, she's having a moment of self-reflection before considering the offer of being the pupil of my pupil, Cynder."

"Ah, I see now," said Jimmy. "Whoever this Ash dragoness is, I hope she'll follow the right path and never resume her destructive ways."

"Believe me, Jimmy, she won't," assured Cynder. "She and I have finally settled our differences, so things should only get better from here on now."

Jimmy nodded understandingly. Then, he remembered why he had come to the village, and figured that now it was the time to tell everyone the news.

"Let's move on to a new subject, shall we?" he suggested.

"Okay, sounds good to us," replied Blaze.

"I have come here because I have some big news that you'll be pleased to here," continued Jimmy. "The Nightriders are going to host a concert in Tokyo tonight!"

"Really?" exclaimed Draco.

"Of course," smiled Jimmy. "I'm recounting that night you guys performed with them over at the Hawaiian islands, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in doing the same thing for tonight's concert."

"Wow, Jimmy!" said Torden with enthusiasm. "All I got to say is that we'd love to jam with the Nightriders again!"

"Much as I'd love to jam again, I want to take a break, for I had a bit of rough day, even though I have recovered," said Bowser. "But have no fear, because I'll be there to watch you all perform."

"I'm gonna go with Bowser too," said Charonus. "Watching concerts is something I prefer over performing any day."

Blaze thought of something, and as she looked at Tails, they nodded, knowing what was on their minds. "Jimmy, if it's alright with you, Tails and I would like to perform with the Nightriders too," she said. "If you're wondering what instrument we're good at, well, we're both excellent singers."

"Wow, Blaze, that's a first that you and Tails want to join in on the fun," laughed Cynder.

"After seeing you and your team performing with the Nightriders back at the concert in Hawaii, it has sparked an inspiration for the both of us," smiled Tails. "We've got perfect pitch in our singing. If you remember, I'm a countertenor while Blaze is a contralto."

"Hopefully, the Nightriders will have able to accommodate additional singers," said Jimmy. "Though I'm pretty sure that they might. And one more thing, if you have any friends who would like to watch you guys on stage, you can go ahead and invite them."

"So we can invite friends, eh?" asked Percival. "Well, Jimmy, I was wondering, I know my pal Jeremy might busy in the Anthro League, but is it okay if he can check out the concert?"

"Sure, he can," smiled Jeremy. "In fact, Jeremy doesn't really have anything on at the moment, so I can bring him over in a jiffy."

"That's good to hear," smiled Percival. "Thanks very much, Jimmy."

"What's all this I'm hearin' about some rockin' concert, homies?" asked a sassy-sounding female voice.

Bowser was surprised when he recognised that the voice belonged to Kalypso, and indeed, there she stood at the village entrance with Kip, Kass, and the Daring Dragon Dynamos.

"How did you guys end up here?" he exclaimed, but soon figured it out thanks to the presence of Starfire, Salem, and Zippy. "Oh, right, their transportation device, of course."

"Yes, that's right, homeboy," said Kalypso. "Those three here were having a trip 'round Australia and stopped by at your home. We wanna check where our Kremling bros Krusha and Klump are at, so we joined them and asked them to take us to Japan."

"If you three crocs want to find Klump and Krusha, they're still over at the Anthro League," said Jimmy. "I can bring them over too since I'm stopping there to pick up Jeremy."

"So I guess we're all ready," said Blaze. "Come on, everyone! Let's go to Tokyo!"

* * *

The city of Tokyo was adorned with lights, which made it appear colourful during the night. The group have arrived at the Tokyo International Forum in the district of Yurakucho, where the Nightriders concert was taking place. Jimmy had split from the team earlier for Kyoto to pick up Jeremy, Klump and Krusha. The audience poured in as they waited anxiously for the concert to commence. There were a wide variety anthros, including crocodilians, lizards, turtles, horses, elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, bears, and many more. Bowser, Charonus, Ignatius, Shu, Kalypso, Kip, Kass, and the Daring Dragon Dynamos managed to find their seats, and they were so excited to see their friends perform with the Nightriders.

Axl was so happy to see Blaze, Tails, and the dragons again, and he led them to the backstage where the rest of his band members were busy rehearsing.

"Attention, everyone!" he said brightly. "Guess who's here to perform with us again!"

The rest of the Nightriders turned around, and when they saw the Tails, Blaze, and the dragons, they were delighted.

Lonnie was the first to greet them. "Welcome back!" he cheered. "So, are you guys up for another concert?"

"We sure are!" replied Blaze. "Bowser and Charonus won't be performing, but Tails and I are going accompany the dragons. We're both singers, so I hope there's room for more."

"You're in luck, Tails and Blaze," said Lucinda. "A lot of the hits we're going to be performing allows for more than a couple of vocalists. Just tell me your voice range, and we'll take it from there."

"I'm a countertenor," said Tails.

"I'm a contralto," said Blaze.

"Okay, not a problem," smiled Lucinda. "I'll give you the lyrics and the sheet music so you can get started practicing and be ready on time."

"Thanks very much," smiled Blaze. "The team and I are all excited for this spectacular night."

"Excellent to hear," said Iggy. "Let's get you some outfits so that you can look your best!"

The dragons nodded in agreement. Soon, they were provided a variety of clothes, and they chose the ones that they felt fit their personalities.

"My, I feel like a rock star in this suit," laughed Torden as he pretended to play the guitar while looking at his punk-styled clothing.

"This is going to be the best night ever!" said Percival, who was wearing a white suit.

Blaze, Tails, and the rest of the dragons could only agree. Presently, they heard some footsteps coming from behind the door.

"Yes, this is the backstage," said Jimmy as he opened door. "You'll find the dragons there, Jeremy. They're preparing for the concert."

"Totally killer!" exclaimed Jeremy as he rushed inside in excitement. "Thank you very much!"

"With pleasure," nodded Jimmy. "Have a good time!"

The dragons turned around to face Jeremy, and they were surprised.

"I didn't we were going to have more performers," said Axl as he placed his arm behind his back. "What's your name, purple dragon?"

Jeremy smiled. "My name's Jeremy," he said. "And you must be Axl, right?"

"Yep, that's me," replied Axl.

"That was unexpected," said Percival. "I thought you were going to be among the audience, buddy."

"I would have," said Jeremy. "Except that getting that opportunity to perform with the Nightriders is something I'd die for!"

"Well, it's good to see you here, Jeremy," smiled Draco.

A sly grin crossed Jeremy's face. "Surely you guys weren't going to perform without me, were you?" he asked.

"Oh, it's not like that!" exclaimed Draco, feeling nervous all of a sudden. "It's just that it was originally planned that it would be just us six plus Tails, Blaze, and the Nightriders."

"I'm only kidding!" laughed Jeremy. "Relax there, pal!"

"I think we need to see first if the Nightriders approve of it," said Blaze.

"For your information, it's perfectly acceptable," said the Nightriders. "I can tell you're good friends with this Jeremy guy, so it's an okay by us!"

"Yes!" cheered Jeremy. "I'm so in!"

"Let's get you a costume first," said Axl as he browsed through the remaining outfits. "Which one do you fancy, Jeremy?"

Jeremy took a look at each costume, until they reached a certain one. It was like a leotard that was with black and white checker patterns.

"Ah, here's one!" continued Axl. "This is the News of the World suit, worn by one of our most favourite musicians from one of our favourite rock bands, Queen!"

"This one will do!" said Jeremy happily. "Please, let me wear it!"

"Okay, it's all yours," smiled Axl. "Well, we better get ourselves ready, so let's make it quick now!"

So everyone prepared their instruments as they set themselves up for the concert. Cynder was about to join in, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Huh?" she exclaimed.

"Cynder, I've finally made up my mind," whispered a voice. "I'll be your student for real!"

"Ash, what are you doing here?" asked Cynder.

"I've come to tell you that I've finally decided to follow the path of the light, thus I'll accept you being my teacher," replied Ash. "Now, I would like to be repaid, if you don't mind."

"Okay then," said Cynder awkwardly. "What kind of repayment?"

Ash thought nervously. "Um, can I please perform along with you?" she asked. "I'm an aspiring guitarist, and want to show what I could do in music."

Meanwhile outside the curtain, Axl was announcing the concert to the audience.

"And so, I hope you'll welcome our additional members," he finished. "There's about like nine of them, to be exact, and…"

Just then, Axl got tapped in the shoulder. He turned around, and learned about a sudden and unexpected change.

"Uh, it looks like we have one more performer joining, so that makes it ten," he said. "Please sit back and enjoy the show everyone!"

With that, the curtains opened, revealing the Nightriders, including Tails, Blaze, Cynder's group, Jeremy, and Ash. Bowser, Charonus, Jimmy and Hero were so surprised to see an unexpected new member, but they watched with excitement as the band started off with "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns n Roses. Then it was followed with a mixture of songs from other bands like Symphony X, Dragonforce, and Queen, including some of the Nightriders' own hits.

After over a couple of hours of performing all kinds of music, the band closed it with Queen's "We are the Champions." Jeremy, in his leotard costume, sung with flair, and so did Tails, Blaze, and Cynder, along with several of the backing Nightriders.

When they have finished playing the song, they received the loudest applause from the audience.

"Bravo!" cheered Bowser and Charonus. "Way to go guys!"

Jimmy and Hero smiled as they clapped along with the audience. Even Ignatius, Shu, Klump, Krusha, Kalypso, Kip, Kass, and the Daring Dragon Dynamos were cheering the band on.

As they basked in the applause, Percival looked at Ash and smiled at her. She was not sure how to respond, but all she could was smile back at the gold dragon. After being enemies with the team, she was now reformed and an ally to them.

Cynder and Draco looked at each other throughout the applauding, and they could not help but smile before kissing on the lips. It had been a long day thanks to all the hardships they have dealt with Ash, but it had ended with a great concert that they will never forget. They then looked at the albino Twilight Storm princess, and they know that in time, with them and their team guiding her, they could be able to help her become one of the finest dragons to defend the world and fight in the name of all that is good and true.

 **Next Time… A New Beginning!**

* * *

 _We are the Champions, my friends!_

 _And we'll keep on fighting to the end!_

 _We are the Champions!_

 _We are the Champions!_

 _No time for losers,_

 _cause we are the Champions, of the world!_

I just love Queen, especially Freddie Mercury's songs. Well, season two has come to its conclusion. I hope you enjoyed this new batch of stories, and expect more exciting adventures for season three! It has been another long and arduous endeavour for me, but writing sure has become something I really enjoy. Many thanks for your support, and may you all have a Happy Halloween! Catch you all again next time!

-DracoCharizard87


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